Young Blood

Thank god we have great backline depth ey. If it were one of the three true tall backs I would be worried. Will be interesting you would think Hibberd comes in. He is slightly undersized but uses his big body so well. He will take Danger when he goes forward. He's been well rested and hopefully comes out with that ferociousness we've seen him have in big games. Much less of a liability with ball in hand then Smith. The Ratugolea factor is really interesting. Statistically he's done practically nothing (6 marks in his last four games...) but obviously gives them a different look structurally. It gives them more big bodies to throw at forward half contests reducing the likelihood of our biggest weapon being our intercept marks and ability to score of turnovers. We're just going to have to be that bit better at the contest in the air and ground especially in the back half. I said it last game that guys like Rivers, Harmes, Salem and Sparrow would have to really step up. They will have to do the same once again to ensure those ground balls don't result in goals.

I doubt Bowey gets dropped for Hunt and as others say the matchup would suggest one of Smith or Hibberd are needed. I wonder what would Hunt as a sub look like? I think with versatile players like Sparrow and Harmes being able to be swung into different roles that Hunt could come in as the sub. Pretty interesting weapon to have Hunt come on late in a game (hopefully if at all) to give us some burst speed and energy. I still think it will be Jordan the sub but will be interesting. The preparation and build up with training competing for spots must be fascinating over there in the hub.

This is one of a few current threads I'm less anxious about reading as there's no assuming we make it past the prelim let along grand final. The hype is really getting to me in a negative way. I think IF we make it past the prelim I will try to ride the wave more.

Loving the Nathan Jones romantics. Bless

Does he? Thats a great question. I would say other then experience in the case where both were playing a similar roll that Jordan is the superior player for finals as it currently stands. This team thrives off team defence. Pressure acts and winning contested ball would be the some of the KPI's for players who are on the fringes of this side especially for a flank/mid rotation type player like these two. JJ has been in the upper echelon for pressure acts in the comp at stages throughout the season. He ranks 6th in this stat in the side and 5th for total tackles. He plays on the edge and like Bowey has an older head when it comes to decision making with terrific foot skills. I fear Jones' lack of power in the legs due to injury set backs this yeah might hinder his ability to create that overwhelming team pressure needed for a hot prelim/grand final. I prefer JJ as the sub as it stands currently but who knows.

You need to read my statement. I said we were poor 'at times', that's all. You backed this up by stating the games we were poor. There weren't many of them yes but they were crucial games for us making the finals. I think we had an underrated year last year especially the way we built up form through the back part of the year. Internally the club was pleased with the performances especially in the hubs.

He's both the Messiah and a very naughty boy.

As have GWS's chances of beating an (overall) better side in Geelong. Would like to see Hibberd come in for some versatility against their bigger potent forwardline if Geelong gets up. When Danger floats forward or there's handover of a player like Cameron I'd much prefer Hibberd. But this would be for Smith. Probably not part of the Hunt/Bowey debate as he plays more as a medium/tall back less as a small rebounding one.

haha thanks for solidifying my statement that we were poor 'at times' last season. 🙃

To be fair they're just football journalists... Calling them experts is flattering. Most of them wont mind getting us wrong too much if Port win the flag. I had us around the 6th-8th mark. The season has been terrific at helping us forget just how poor we were at times last season and horrendous the year before. Feel like we've only just won the full trust of all AFL media in the last month.

I used to go to games with Dave. Old school mate. Always hoped we'd have a look at getting him come back home. He's been such a consistent player for the Crows.

It's a nice thought but I hope for the team's sake and best chance of getting through to a grand final that Jones isn't in the side. I'm sure everyone at the club realises this including Jones. He is a compeditor and I'm sure pushing at training to try and get in the side but unless there are injuries to utility types like Harmes, Sparrow or JJ I don't think we'll be seeing Jones in the red and blue this year. Love that he's playing a part behind the scenes though. I've had day dreams of a Bob Murphy type moment where we win a the flag and Jones is invited on stage to hold the cup. Bring a tear just thinking about it. I know this is getting ahead oneself. It's just a nice day dream to get me through the day.

God seeing the above posts of the scoreboard dating back to the second worst loss in AFL history, which resulted in the sacking of Dean Bailey, RIP. It made me realise how much recent history we've had at this ground. From Gawn's coming out party and huge upset win down there in 2014. The horrible loss in Roos' last game, the more recent loss after the siren when Touhy kicked it after the siren, and now this..... Incredible.

I agree with you although it would depend on how you differentiate between tired and fatigued. Seasoned players with several full pre seasons are always going to fair better towards the end of the season due to build up of match fitness over a period of time. As you say unless they are sore or have niggles rest is unnecessary and form continuity is important. Younger players with less preseasons or limited ones will tend to fatigue towards the end of games more often especially in the back half of the year. It's definitely something to be cognisant of for us with quite a few key players under 22. That being said I feel we've run out games relatively well the last month (West Coast being an abnormality). So as you say should't be a factor for us you would think.

Don't get me wrong I love Bailey and kicking 7 in any game is impressive. But Wright did it against a top 4 side, he was a catalyst in an upset win and was imposing while booting a few from beyond 50m in crucial stages to get his side over the line. Bailey kicked 7 against a mediocre side that gave him so much space and time. He kicked those last three in junk time when the game was done and dusted. He was too skilled, classy and smart for the opposition. Again I'm so glad he kicked the bag and should go into September full of confidence. But there's reasons why it wasn't as impressive to the AFL media than Wrights game.

If we can keep the Perth trio signed on and happy in Melbourne we're pretty well set up for some consistent football for quite some time. The three of them have such high ceilings. We're clearly drafting very well the last few years but the player development within the club has been outstanding. So keen to see how Rosman, Laurie, Turner and Smith develop with a few preseasons under their belt. To me there's only a handful of players who have had a bit of time at the club with whom the jury is still out whether they can perform at AFL level and thats Baker, Bedford and Chandler. Its as much about our depth probably keeping them from opportunity then anything else as well. I've left out the two mid season recruits. As you can see from footywire's squad list they're still a bit too young to play AFL yet. 😆

It's his defensive stuff around the contest that I'm sure the coaching staff are liking. He and Viney are our defensive mids/forwards who are really physical and intimidating. I agree that he has been really untidy with the ball but hopefully that improves in the coming weeks.

He's by far out toughest player with AVB, Harmes and maybe May a bit further back. He's definitely out of form, body doesn't look right. Looks perhaps a bit top heavy and legs aren't conditioned perhaps. But he still gives so much aggression and hard work inside especially defensively. I feel like he and Harmes are asked to play on the edge through the middle of the ground. Be intimidating and hurt when you tackle. It doesn't surprise me that this happens when a player is playing on the edge like he is that you cross the line every now and then. Not a good look but slow mid week news will go nuts with it as per usual. All the best players have their ugly moments (e.g. Judd). I worry a bit about Jack though. At times doesn't look too happy. His body language isn't great. I hope its more frustration with his body as apposed to anything else within the team and role etc. He forced quite a bit on the weekend and looked agitated so again this doesn't surprise me.

I'm talking about in game fatigue. We're not coping at times with increased physicality. Big bodies of Port and Hawthorn were really hurting us around the contest. Needless to say we're on the same page. Be the aggressor, hunt from the start.

I think fatigue might play a factor as well here. The last two weeks have been really physical games. I think the boys have taken a fair beating and it shows when making decisions in game. Not making excuses but I think teams are making a consertive effort to really hunt us with tackling and physicality around the ball and its showing. Need to weather the storm and make sure we're the aggressor. I thought we set the tone early in that Port game.

I get what you're saying re Brown. Give him a few more weeks to find some continuity with the team. Hopefully some consistency can be found in how we deliver the ball to him. But not sure if I would go as far as to say he's more critical to our structure then ANB, Kossie and Fritta will ever be. Apart from kicking 72 goals between them they are crucial to our forward line structure especially defensively which is how we have generated most of our scoring this season. Definitely need to see more from Brown to warrant a spot come finals. Some signs starting to show the last few weeks that might come to fruition. Fingers crossed!

Not concerned if Bailey is doing some slightly cheap stuff off the ball. Most smaller sized forwards do this to gain an edge. Eddy and Toby do it brilliantly.

God I hope its Saturday not Friday. We need all the rest we can get after the physicality of the last two games. Hawthorn especially I thought were ferocious with their tackling and body work around the ball. Sore boys.

Unfortunately the game has changed too much for the deep stay home forward out of the goal square to come back any time soon. It's mostly due to defensive structures. Most teams play a zone defense these days meaning they defend space as well as their man. Having a forward stay deep is problematic as most of the time opposition either play an extra defender or have a defender zone off their man to fill the hole between the key forward and the play up field. You would see many more two on one's if the strategy was to play someone predominantly deep. It's too predictable. The only time you see genuine one on ones in the forward half is usually off a turnover causing a transition where the deepest forward (about 50m mark on average) pushes hard enough back before the opposition get back to set up the zone (or you catch defenders ball watching/napping) May and Lever are so successful because they play predominantly inside forward 50 and zone off their men so well. Hence why opposition are now trying to pull them out and make them more accountable away from their forward 50 where they eat up intercepts.

Yeah nope. Most of the time forward 50 was vacant when in oppositions forward half.